Stephen Hickman has been illustrating science fiction and fantasy for three decades. His work is inspired by the masters of fantasy and science
fiction writing  J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, A. Merritt, Edgar
Rice Burroughs and Clark Ashton Smith.

His illustrations have been used
as cover work for many contemporary writers: Stephen Brust, Hal Colbatch, Tom
Cool, Gordon Dickson, David Drake, Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, Anne
McCaffrey, Larry Niven, Andre Norton, Jerry Pournelle, and Steve Stirling among others.

Hickmans work has earned
him critical acclaim, including a World Science Fiction Convention's Hugo Award and 5 Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.

In 1988 Hickman wrote The Lemurian Stone (Ace Books), which formed the basis for his Pharazar Mythos illustrations, The Lion Pavillion, is one
example, and is also reproduced along with The Archers, in the
1994 edition of Spectrum.

In 1994 he was awarded a Hugo Award from the World Science
Fiction Convention for the United States Postal Services Space Fantasy
Commemorative Booklet of stamps, the first official recognition by the
government of the SF genre.

In 1996, Hickman created the Cthulhu statuette inspired
by an earlier cover illustration done for H.P. Lovecrafts story
The Call of Cthulhu (Baen Books). The statuette was produced and
distributed by Bowen Designs. A second edition is now available, as well
as a bust of H.P. Lovecraft himself.